How to utilize Sort Lists and AutoFill

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1. Introduction

These automations make data insertion easier in Calc. For instance, when you
type Monday into a cell, there is a mechanism to allow inserting all the days
of the week. The same mechanism works for month lists, as well. OpenOffice.org
allows you to automatically insert the most used Sort Lists.

It's the same for a number or date series. With a single click or dragging
action, you will be able to increase the series of numbers or years. Very practical,
isn't it?

2. Sort Lists

Here's an easy example: Type the word January in a cell, select the cell (it
has to be surrounded from a thick rectangle with a small square on the lower
right corner), and click on that square without releasing the mouse button and
drag the mouse.

Magic! By dragging the mouse, the words are automatically displayed in a yellow
floating info box. Stop at March and the cells will be automatically updated.

These lists are already recorded in the software; there are a lot of them,
and of course, you can record your own lists. Let's see how this is possible.

In Tools-Options-Spreadsheet-Sort Lists, let's discover those lists
that are already present

There are 4 default recorded lists. In the image above, there is an additional
custom list.

You can insert them from the left, right, upwards, or downwards. Of course,
the order will be respected: If you start with Monday then drag your mouse upwards,
the next displayed day will be Sunday. Same thing, if you drag your mouse to
the left.

Now, we'll create our own sort list

Type the list in your sheet,

Select it by highlighting,

Choose Tools-Options-Spreadsheet-Sort Lists,

In the dialog window that it will appear, you'll see the 'Copy' button.
Next to this button there is a text box, named 'Copy list from'. You
should read there the sheet name and the cells range you have previously selected,

Now, you are able to use it in your sheets, in
every way, being sure that the order will always be respected. In fact, you
can start from whichever element of the list you choose.

If you don't wish to keep that sample list:

Select it in the Sort Lists windows and click on the 'Delete' button
to remove it.

3. AutoFill

The AutoFill is similar to the procedure described above.

Select a cell range,

Under Edit-Fill; Choose 'Series...' ,

In the Direction section, determine in which direction you wish to
fill your cells

For the time being, in Series Type, choose Linear,

In Start value, type '2'; in End value, insert '16'; and finally
in Increment, type '2'. We have set up to fill the cells with numbers
from 2 to 16 incremented progressively by 2.

Let's see the result:

Wonderful! We have filled 8 cells only, but try to imagine if there were 3000.
What a time savings!

Let's analyse the other filling options:

'Growth': it's similar to linear, but this option allows not selecting
the exact range of cells to be filled; though it is obligatory to insert the
End value. Even if you have selected only a few cells, the filling
action will continue until the End Value has been reached, while the linear
mode respects the number of cells you have selected,

'Date': gives you the access to the section 'Time Unit'. It's
an explicit choice, you have to select what you wish to be displayed. Remember
to fill the fields 'Start Value', 'End Value', and 'Increment'

AutoFill: will fill your cells from a start value.

Note : As far as the Date
AutoFill is concerned, don't forget to format your cells with the format 'Date'
in the format 'Number' as they are by default; otherwise, you'll get
the wrong result.
After you have acknowledged your mistake after the AutoFill action, selecting
the related cell range and formatting it correctly will resolve the issue.

A faster trick is:

Type 1 inside cell A1,

Type 3 inside cell A2,

Select both cells by clicking on the first, hold down the [SHIFT]
key, and press the arrow key,

Click the little square on the bottom right corner of the highlighted area
and drag downward with the mouse, your cells will be increased 2 by 2!

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